Jake Blumgart, GOVERNING

Jake Blumgart

GOVERNING

Philadelphia, PA, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • GOVERNING
  • Slate
  • WHYY
  • Billy Penn
  • PlanPhilly
  • CityLab
  • Pacific Standard
  • Philly Mag
  • PhillyVoice
  • Philly.com
  • and more…

Past articles by Jake:

For Mass Transit Agencies, a Fiscal Cliff Looms (Part II)

Continuing our coverage of how large city transit systems are faring fiscally since the pandemic, we take a look at Philadelphia, New York City and Chicago. → Read More

Pennsylvania’s Crowded Field of Republican Gubernatorial Candidates

While most of the men have taken stands on cultural issues that reflect national GOP platforms, such as guns and abortion, there are issues they back that are distinct to the Keystone State. → Read More

Can the Twin Cities Reinvent Rent Control?

With a housing market unable to meet demand and rents spiking, Minneapolis and St. Paul are turning to a practice many have scorned as bad housing policy. → Read More

Why the Concept of Induced Demand Is a Hard Sell

Both the public and policymakers have trouble understanding why building more roads and highways does not reduce congestion. → Read More

Downtowns Are Suffering Through a Mom-and-Popcalypse

The era of remote work is finally ending. For local retail, it may be too late. → Read More

Philly is losing historic buildings at an alarming rate. Can it learn from Baltimore?

Baltimore uses a local preservation tax credit to stabilize neighborhoods. Could the approach help Philadelphia? → Read More

After a deadly 2018 house fire, Philly didn’t do much. Will this time be different?

Sometimes disasters lead to change. But in Philadelphia, officials failed to take steps after the last deadly group home fire. → Read More

Smaller Cities, Poorer Regions Could Be Infrastructure Losers

Over a third of the new money for transit and other infrastructure needs will be awarded in the form of competitive grants. That means cities with the capacity to draft eye-catching proposals will get the most attention. → Read More

PHA owns thousands of other rowhomes like the one that burned in Fairmount

The housing authority has a huge portfolio of so-called “scatter sites,” which were long neglected. → Read More

A Black Cleveland Neighborhood Struggles for Survival

Collinwood is a microcosm of Cleveland’s majority Black neighborhoods, where years of racism, predatory lending, gun violence and falling property values have left few options for stability and growth. → Read More

D.C. Metro: Once Off the Rails, Now Back On

The country’s third largest subway system, once a public transit gem, suffered greatly thanks to a fragmented funding structure. Now, a regional effort to save the system is working, but COVID-19 presents a new hurdle. → Read More

Chip Shortage Drives Hard Look at America’s Industrial Policy

The U.S. was once king of semiconductor manufacturing. Today, not so much. In an interview, Skanda Amarnath discusses what went wrong with our chip-making prowess and if government intervention is needed. → Read More

Does the Federal Housing Policy Do Enough to Stop Evictions?

New research calls into question the efficacy of America’s largest affordable housing program. Among working-class families, one in four renter households paid over half their income in rent in 2017. → Read More

No coronavirus relief for the undocumented workers behind Philly’s building boom

For construction workers who aren’t U.S. citizens, there are fewer options for keeping food on the table during the region’s coronavirus shutdown. → Read More

Philadelphia Museum of Art halts construction over coronavirus dangers

PMA stopped construction in light of worker safety concerns. Work also stopped Monday at the new Philadelphia Police headquarters at 400 N. Broad. → Read More

Workers pulled from Xfinity Live casino site and others due to alleged breach of CDC regs

Union officials allege that the general contractors on several high-profile Philadelphia projects were not complying with CDC regulations. → Read More

SEPTA is getting $643M in federal coronavirus aid

SEPTA is getting the emergency federal aid it needs to fill its coronavirus-depleted coffers. But experts say the money won’t be enough to make the agency whole. → Read More

Cheesecake Factory is getting a COVID-19 pass on rent. Should Pa. help all renters?

Tenants suddenly unemployed, businesses forced to shutter and landlords are all confronting new questions in the face of an unprecedented pandemic. → Read More

Philly Council advances $85.4 million coronavirus emergency spending bill

The taxpayer money will be spent on city payroll and operating testing sites as well as other emergency operations. → Read More

Construction workers look to looming coronavirus shutdown and see a ‘sinking boat’

Construction workers and developers say the shutdown could imperil projects. One developer has already sued the state for more time to close sites. → Read More